Cleaning device



Nov. 8, 1949 A. G. SMITH 2,487,676

CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 8, 1945 INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning devices havin parts of such size that they may be introduced into small openings or orifices for cleaning parts beyond such openings or orifices. More particularly, it relates to a tool for cleaning the bore of the shank of a smoking pipe.

As is well known, in cleaning the shank of a tobacco pipe, it is customary to utilize a pipe cleaner consisting of a plurality of wires which are spirally wound to provide a core for retaining an absorbent material in the form of tufts or bristles. Such cleaners, however, when unsupported, are subject to bending and are therefore difficult to use. They must also be handled directly by the smoker Whose hands and even his clothes are often soiled by the tar and liquid extracted. Moreover, such cleaners do not provide a scraping action upon the wall surrounding the bore and consequently are not effective in removing tar and other accumulations that have become more or less firmly cemented thereto. They are also usually adapted to extend through the bit of the pipe as well as the shank and since the shank is usually larger than the bit, they are not very efficient as a cleaner for pipe shanks.

Mechanical devices or tools for supporting filters have also been provided for insertion in the bore of the bowl shank during smoking. Such filters, however, soon become soaked with water and nicotine and their removal is repulsive to fastidious smokers. Attempts have also been made to provide mechanical devices; for: scraping or removing tar from pipe shanks. Such devices, however, either exert a scraping. action or merely serve as a carrier for a cord or the like to effect a brushing action. They are not usually designed to carry an absorbing device, such as a brush which. collects the tar and absorbs the moisture and nicotine associated therewith as it is scraped from the walls of the shank surrounding the bore and even when utilized to provide a brushing action alone, satisfactory means has not heretofore been provided to anchor the brush firmly in engagement with the tool so that during the rotation of the toolthe brush will be forced firmly into engagement with the walls of the bore to provide a swabbing action.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cleaning device for pipe shanks including a blade in combination with an absorbenti brush in which the brush is utilized to retain tar, moisture, and other accumulations scraped from the walls surrounding the bore of the shank of the pipe.

Another object of my invention is to: provide an improved cleaning device for pipe shanks comprising a tool having a slender blade in combination with a brush having portions arranged on opposite sides of the blade and which is firmly anchored along the center of opposite sides of the blade so that during the rotation of the tool, tar may be scraped from the walls of the bore of the shank and will be absorbed by the brush.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of one form of my improved tool without the brush in place;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the tool shown in Fig. 1 with a brush firmly anchored on the blade;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a modified handle portion of the tool shown in Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View of another form of my improved tool;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the tool shown in Fig. 5 without the: brush in place; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with the brush in place and showing the tool inserted in the shank of a tobacco pipe which shank is shown in elevation.

One form of my improved invention is disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings in which handle I and blade 2' are constructed from a single sheet of metal and to provide a blade of the desired width, the opposite sides 3 and I of the handle converge inwardly at a rather sharp angle and the side edges 5 and 6 of the blade taper gradually to the tip which is bifurcated to form a pair of projections in the form of tines l and 8 providing a recess 9' to receive a suitable brush I!) as illustrated in Fig. 2. The tool is also provided with a suitable anchoring means for the brush to firmly maintain the brush upon the blade and while the anchoring means may be of any desirable form, as illustrated in the drawings, a pair of spaced apertures ll and i2 are formed in the blade, the aperture ll being adapted to receive one end of the brush it which extends. through the aperture II and is bent toward one side of the blade as indicated by the numeral it. The brush is then passed in the recess 9 between. tines 1 and 8 and the other end is passed through aperture l2 and bent toward the opposite side of the blade as indicated by the numeral l3.

When the tool shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is utilized as a pipe cleaner, it will be noted that in view of the taper of the blade, the brush will be effective at the tined end in absorbing moisture and nicovided with concave grooves. side portions of the blade are machined to pro- .vide four longitudinally extending concavetine from the bore adjacent the bowl of the pipe. As the blade extends toward the handle, however, edges 5 and 6 extend outwardly from the brush a substantial distance and consequently when the handle is turned, they not only serve to firmly support the brush but the edges of the blade scrape the tar and entrained liquid from the bore of the pipe which is thrown against the brush. During this action the tar not only clings to the brush but the-entrained liquids are absorbed by the brush. It will be apparent that instead of having the handle fiat as indicated at l in Fig. 1 it may be bent into a substantially round shape as shown in Fig. 4 so that it may be conveniently handled. As illustrated, the handle is formed integral with the blade. If desired, however, it may be formed of plastic material, wood, or the like.

Another modification of my improved tool is shown in Figs. 5 to 7 of the drawings and includes -a handle l5 and a blade 16 which are preferably formed integral with each other and in which two or more of the side portions of the blade are pro- As shown, all four shaped grooves and four scraping edges ll, [8, l9 and 20. In this form of the invention, suitable means are also provided to anchor the brush or brushes firmly in place. As illustrated, a pair of spaced apertures 2| and 22 are provided in the blade, a pair of cleats 23 and 24 may be welded or otherwise secured to the handle, and the free end of the blade is provided with grooves or recesses 25 and 26 extending transversely to each other and which provide a plurality of projections 27 in the form of tines which extend from the .free end of the blade.

The cleats, apertures, and recesses cooperate to maintain a pair of brushes 28 and 29 firmly in place on the tool and while the brushes may be arranged in any desirable manner, as shown, one end of brush 28 is bent around cleat 23 with its free end 30 arranged adjacent the handle and is then extended in the groove bounded by edges I1 and I8 and is passed through transverse groove or recess 25 and along the concave groove bounded by edges I9 and 20 with its other end bent around cleat 24 and then adjacent the handle as indicated by the numeral 3 I and one end of the other brush 29 is inserted through aperture 2| in the blade and is bent back toward blade l5 as indicated by the numeral 32, from whence it extends in the concave groove bounded by edges l8 and 2D and thence through transverse groove or recess 26 and in the concave groove bounded by edges l7 and I9 to aperture 22 through which it is inserted and its other free end 32a is bent back into the concave groove bounded by edges l8 and 20.

In Fig. 7, the tool is shown inserted in the bore of a tube 33, which may be the shank of a pipe, and as handle I5 is turned, the edges l7, l8, l9 and 20 of the blade exert a scraping action upon the inner wall of the bore and any tar and entrained liquid scraped therefrom falls against the portion of the brushes in the concave-shaped grooves between edges I! and l8, l8 and 2B, 28 and I9, and I9 and I1, and is retained thereby when the brush is formed of absorbent material. It Will be noted that the side portions of the brushes are arranged at a suificient distance from the scraping edges of the blade to provide substantial spaces between the scraping edges of the blade and the outer portions of the brushes to 4 receive tar and other accumulations scraped from the inner wall of the pipe shank when the blade is turned in the bore of the pipe shank.

In both modifications shown, the handle and blade are formed integral with each other and are preferably formed of metal stock, and in each modification the blade serves to support the brush in place and its edges are spaced sufliciently from the brush over at least part of their area to effeet a scraping action and the tar thus scraped from the walls is thrown'into contact with the brush which acts to retain the tar and absorb the entrained moisture and nicotine.

' terial difierent from the blade.

It will be understood, however, that if desired the handle may be formed separately of the blade and of a ma- For instance, the blade may be formed of metal and the handle may be formed of wood or a plastic material, or a portion of the blade may extend from the blade and form a core for afplastic or wooden handle. Other modifications of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it will of course be understood that I contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modification as falls within the true purpose and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A tool for cleaning the bore of a pipe shank comprising a solid body having a handle and a blade, said blade having a free end provided with spaced projections forming a recess and oppositely disposed first and second wall surfaces which terminate in longitudinally extending scraping edges and said blade being provided with a pair of aligned spaced apertures extending through said blade and which are spaced at a substantial distance longitudinally of said blade from said recess and which are arranged substantially midway between said scraping edges, and a rodshaped brush having a portion extending along the first wall surface substantially midway between its scraping edges with a portion extending through one of said apertures and having its free end arranged against the second wall surface and said brush being looped about the recess at the free end of said blade and having another portion extending back substantially midway between the edges of the second wall surface and having a portion extending through the other aperture in said blade with its free end extending a short distance along the first wall surface, and the bottom portion of said rod-shaped brush resting upon said Wall surfaces and being supported throughout its entire length by said blade and the side portions of said brush being arranged throughout at least a portion of their length at a suificient distance from the scraping edges of said blade to provide substantial spaces between the scraping edges of said blade and the outer portions of said brush to receive tar and other accumulations scraped from the inner wall of said shank when said blade is turned in the bore of the pipe shank.

2. A tool for insertion into the bore of a pipe shank comprising a solid body having a handle and a blade, the blade being provided with projections at its free end forming a recess and oppositely disposed faces providing first and second side wall portions which terminate in scraping edges, said blade being provided with a pair of apertures spaced from said projections and from each other and each of which extends through the blade from one side wall portion to the other side wall portion and each of which is spaced at substantially equal distances from the oppositely dis-.

posed scraping edges of said blade, and a rodshaped brush supported upon and extending along one side wall portion substantially intermediate said scraping edges with one of its free ends extending through one of said apertures and a short distance rearwardly against the face of the second side wall portion and with the central portion of said brush looped in said recess between said projections and with the other portion of said brush extending along the face of the second side Wall portion substantially intermediate said scraping edges and with its other free end extending through the other aperture and a short distance along the face of the first wall portion and portions of the outer surface of said brush being spaced at a sufficient distance from the opposite sides of said scraping edges to provide substantial spaces between portions of the outer surface of the brush and the scraping edges of said blade for receiving tar and other accumulations scraped from the wall surrounding the bore of said shank when said blade is turned in the bore of said shank.

3. A tool for cleaning the bore of a pipe shank comprising a solid body having a handle and a flat blade, the blade being provided with projections at its free end forming a recess and oppositely disposed faces providing first and second wall surfaces which terminate in longitudinally extending scraping edges and said blade being provided with a pair of aligned spaced apertures extending through said blade and which are spaced at a substantial distance longitudinally of said blade from said recess and which are arranged substantially midway between said scraping edges, and a rod-shaped brush having a portion extending along the first wall surface substantially midway between said scraping edges with a portion extending through one of said apertures and having its free end arranged against the second wall surface and said brush being looped in the recess between the projections at the free end of said blade and having another portion extending back substantially midway between the edges of the second wall surface and having a portion extending through the other aperture in said blade with its free end extending a short distance along the first wall surface, and the bottom portion of said rodshaped brush resting upon said wall surfaces and being supported throughout its entire length by said blade and the side portions of said brush being arranged throughout at least a portion of their length at a sufficient distance from the scraping edges of said blade to provide substantial spaces between the scraping edges of said blade and the outer portions of said brush to receive tar and other accumulations scraped from the inner wall of said shank when said blade is turned in the bore .of the pipe shank.

4. A tool for insertion into the bore of a pipe shank comprising a solid body having a handle and a blade, the blade being provided with projections at its free end forming a recess and being also provided with oppositely disposed first and second concave faces and other faces, certain of the latter faces forming with the concave faces scraping edges at the margin of each concave face, said blade being provided with a pair of apertures spaced from said projections and from each other and each of which extends through the blade from the first concave face to the second concave face and each of which is spaced at substantially equal distances from the oppositely disposed scraping edges at the margins of each concave face of said blade, and a rod-shaped brush extending along the concave portion of the first concave face substantially intermediate the scraping edges at the margins of the first concave face with one of its free ends extending through one of said apertures and a short distance rearwardly against the concave portion of the second concave face and with the central portion of said brush looped in said recess between said projections and with the other portion of said brush extending along the concave portion of the second concave face substantially intermediate the scraping edges at the margins of the second concave face and with its other free end extending through the other aperture and a short distance along the concave portion of the first concave face, and the outer surface of that portion of said brush which is disposed in the concave portion of the first concave face being spaced at a sumcient distance from the scraping edges at the margins of the first concave face and the outer surface of that portion of said brush which is disposed in the concave portion of the second concave face being spaced a suilicient distance from the scraping edges at the margins of the second concave face to provide substantial spaces between the outer surface portions of the brush and the scraping edges of said blade for receiving tar and other accumulations scraped from the wall surrounding the bore of said shank when said blade is turned in the bore of said shank.

ARTHUR G. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 869,063 Cryer Oct. 22, 1907 889,890 Bass June 9, 1908 1,316,744 Rubel Sept. 23, 1919 1,541,345 Goldvogel June 9, 1925 2,094,378 Seehaus Sept. 28, 1937 2,132,141 Ashley Oct. 4, 1938 2,188,712 Goldvogel Jan. 30, 1940 2,388,016 Smith Oct. 30, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,722 Great Britain A. D. 1896 10,858 Great Britain of 1902 11,956 Great Britain of 1889 14,294 Great Britain A. D. 1912 406,943 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1934 

